Patch.com reports that a DUI checkpoint set up at the intersection of Collier Avenue and Riverside Drive over the weekend yielded some 43 citations for the three-day weekend.
According to a statement issued by the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station, the DUI checkpoint began on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and concluded at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday. During the checkpoint operations, Sheriffs’ deputies were looking for drivers who were driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, and even prescription medication.
Records indicate that five drivers were taken into custody on suspicion of DUI, 10 drivers were cited for driving without a license, 3 were charged with driving on a suspended license. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department told reporters that 10 vehicles had to be towed.
Authorities told members of the press that the checkpoint was chosen based on data that indicates where there have been previous DUI crashes and arrests. The funding for the DUI checkpoints throughout California comes from grants issued by the California Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
On average, a driver charged with DUI will face $13,500 in fines and penalties. They may also face potentially losing their insurance, losing their job, and having their driver’s license suspended or revoked.
